Closure fastener



March 8, 1960 G. RElTzEL cLosuRE FASTENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March25, 1957 March 8, 1960 G. RElTzr-:L 2,927,814

CLOSURE FASTENER Filed March 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v Jl if i3 y @um jJm/emaft' C50/9c Ren-ZPL 927,814 .CLosURE FASTENER Georg Reitzel,Altenmittlau Kreis Gelnhausen, Germany, v

assigner to Drescher & Kiefer, Inh. Georg Reitzel, A1- tenmittlau KreisGelnhausen, Germany Application March 25, 1957, Serial No. 648,255

Claims priority, application Germany April 6, 1956 7 Claims. (Cl.292;-335) This invention is concerned with a closure fastenerparticularly for ladies hand bags and the like and is an vimprovement ofthe closure fastener which forms the While thevclosure fastener vof myAaforesaid patent i necessitates the provision of two spring controlledclosing or catch members vover the lock case or frame, the presentinvention is an improvement thereon in that only one closing member isrequired, which catches into the lock frame itself. This makes itpossible, when opening the bag or similar article, to withdraw theclosing member from its locking position bydepressing the catch memberinto the interior of the lock case, in which position it becomes andremains arrested until released again by the closing of the bag, to besprung directly into engagement with the lock frame which forms theother part of the closure.

ICE

Fig. 1 is a representation, in closed position, of th closure fastenerin accordance with the 'first embodiment of the invention and is asection on line I-I of Fig. 3; f

Fig. 2 is a section similar to Fig. 1 showing the position of the partswhen the closure, or the bag respectively, is opened;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 a perspective view of an article, for instance a purse, which isprovided with a closure in accordance with Figs. 1 to 3.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modified formV of the invention and is alongitudinal section through the closure fastener in its closed positionon line V,-V of Fig. 8;

' Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. I5 of the device' inits open position alongthe .line VI-VI of Fig. 7 is a plan view of theclosure fastener in the position of Fig'. 6, and

Fig. S a perspective view of a brief case provided with a closurefastener in accordance with Figs. 5 to 7.

Referring to the embodimentI shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the closure fastenerconsists of two units or mainparts, namely the closing frame 1 and thelock case or housing 2, within which the closing member and itslockingand releasing means are accommodated. The closing frame 1 may beconnected in any known or convenient manner to the material'3 forinstance of a ladies hand bag, a purse, a brief case, or the like.

Fixed tothe outside of the wall 4 of the lock case, which forms thelower unit in the drawing, is an angular ledge 5 which serves as a restfor the bottom plate 6 of the closing frame 1. Fitted to the inside vofthe wall 4 is a leaf spring 7, as by riveting for instance, which isprovided with an upstanding nose or projection 8 and,

The aforesaid and other objects of the invention are obtained in oneembodiment thereofv by the closure fastener being provided with only onesingle closing member, for instance a latch, and a plate spring with anose' or projection attached to it forA engagement with said at itsunderside, with a plate spring 9 preferably set olf at its end. Theparts may be connected to one another by riveting or in any othermanner. The closing member in the shape of a latch 10 is slideablyarranged in the other part of the lock case 2 where it is acted upon bya compression spring 11. It is provided with two openings 12 and 13 intothe rst of which, inthe closing position of the device (Fig. 2), thenose 8 of the spring plate 7 is adapted to project, while the secondopening 13 serves for the passage therethrough of a bolt or latch. Tofree the latter from its closed position it can be retracted as by thedepression of a bolt or plunger and then locked again in its retractedopen position by the said nose or projection on the plate spring cominginto engagement therewith. It is released again by a pressure plunger14. This bolt or plunger 14Yis adapted to slide in a vertical guide inthe centre of the upper part of the lock case 2 and is provided at itslower end with a bevel 15 by means of which it cooperates with a slantedon the plate spring when the bag is being closed. They v plate springand the closing member are preferably ar- Y ranged in parallel relationto each other.

In another form of the Vinvention the closure fastener is provided witha spring-loaded catch in the shape of a lever which is positioned in thelock case preferably below a locking member which holds the said catchlever Vin its position of rest when the bag is closed. Whenthe bag isopen and the closing member, which may be a cross pin on the movable ap,is out of engagement with parts of the closure fastener in theirmutually closed posii tion.

In the accompanying drawings two embodiments of the v` invention areillustrated by way of example. In these drawings surface 16 of theopening 13 in the latch 10. Plunger 14 is headed by a cap 17; both theplunger and the cap are placed under the action of a compression spring`18 urging Fig. 1. A catch of any known or convenient type (not shown)may be provided to prevent the plunger 14 beinglung out of its guide inthe lock case. Cap 17 is a sliding tit within the closing frame 1.

The aforedescribed closure fastener operates as vfollows:r In the closedposition of the device (Fig. l1) the bevel 15 of plunger 14 affordssuilicient freedom for the closing member or latch 1i? to allow of itsentrance under v the'action of spring 11 into a cavity 19 at the insideof the closing frame 1, after the bottom plate 6 of the closing framehas, by contact with the tongue 9 of spring'7, withdrawn the nose 8 fromthe opening 12 of the latch 10. To open the closure fastener one has todepress the cap 17 against the action of its compression spring 18. Thiscauses the bolt or plunger 14 to` move down into the lock case and itsbevel 15 to press against the slanted edge surface 16 in the slot 13 ofthe latch 10, which is thereby retracted into the lock case 2 (Fig. 2).

When now the ap 3 of the` bagis lifted, the closin frame 1 movesupwards. This releases the Contact between the'parts 6 and 9 and therebycauses Ythe plate spring to lift, and its nose S to enter the opening 12and to arrest the latch in its retracted position. The closing member orlatch lil 4remains in this arrested position until, during the closingof the bag, the closing frame ll is passed over the cap 17 and the upperpart of the lock case, whereby the bottom plate 6 engages the tongue 9of spring 7 and presses it down into the position of Fig. 1, and thuswithdraws the nose 8 from the opening 32 in the latch since the plungerle, after the cap i7 has been released, has been pushed up by its springi8, whereby the latch it? has become free to be pushed by its spring llinto the cavity 19 of the closing frame il. The bag is now closed.

In the modified form of the closure fastener as shown in Figs. to 8 theclosure fastener consists of two units or main parts, of which the firstpart 5i, forming the closing frame, may be connected to the material 3of a bag in any known or convenient manner.

The second part consists of the lock case 61 which may be secured to thework piece as by means of the prongs 62, or in any other manner.

Slidingly provided in the lock lcase 61Y is the locking member 63. It isacted upon by a compression spring 65 which bears against a screw orpost extending from the lock case and presses on a nose 64 of thelocking member 63, which is thus urged into its closing positionaccording to 1Eig. 5. i

Also provided in the lock case, below the locking member 63, is a catchlever 66 which is acted upon by a compression spring 67 tending to pushthe lever into the posishown in Fig. 6. This catch lever is of steppedformation and rests in yan inversely stepped cavity of the lock case 61.The first step at its operating end serves as a stop to prevent thelocking member 63 from exceeding its closed position, while the secondstep holds it in its open position. The third step, which is the tailend of the lever, is beveled od to afford a rest on the lbottom of thelock case when the catch 66 is in its tilted position under the actionof spring 67 (Fig. 6).

Part 51 of the closure fastener is recessed or cut out to the width ofthe locking member 63, and the recess is bridged over by the pin or stud52 forming the closing member as shown in Fig. 7. In the closed positionof the device pin 52 takes its position in the front part of the casewhere it is received in recesses of the side walls which are shown inbroken lines in Fig. 6, and inv which it is locked by the locking member63. Moving the said locking against the action of its spring 65 out ofthe closed position of Figs. 5 and 8 into the position of Figs. 6 and 7,pin 52 becomes free and the closure can be opened.

In order to close the fastener, pin 52 is moved in the direction of thelock case 61 together with the flap of the bag, whereby it presses thefree end of the catch lever 66 inwardly. As soon as the catch leverliberates the nose 64 of the slide member 63, the latter is pushed byits spring 65 into the position of Fig. 5 and the closure fastener islocked again.

What I claim is:

l. In a fastener for use on a closure having a main part and a closingflap, a lock case on said main part and a closing frameon said closingflap to nt over part of said lock case, a slidable locking member onsaid lock case, a spring to urged said locking member toward saidclosing frame, an inversely stepped excavation in said lock case forminga plurality of consecutive recesses therein, a closing pin stretchingacross said closing frame of said closing ap to t into the foremost ofsaid recesses, a multi-stepped catch lever in said lock case to t intolthe said recesses when the fastener is closed, and a spring underneathsaid catch lever to urge the same upwardly when the fastener is openedby its locking member being retracted, the foremost of said steps of thecatch lever thereby pushing said closing pin out of the first recess inthe lock case, another step taking a position in the path of saidlocking member to prevent its return as long as the fastener is open,while still another step of said catch lever places itself into anotherof said recesses in the lock case tending to maintain said catch leverin position when the fastener is closed, said foremost step of the catchlever also serving to prevent the locking member exceeding its positionwhen the fastener is being closed.

2. ln a fastener for use on a closure having a main part i and a closingflap, a lock case on said main part and a closing frame on said closingfiap to Vfit over part of said lock case, a slidable locking member onsaid lock case, a spring to urge said locking member toward said closingframe, an inversely stepped excavation in said lock case forming threeconsecutive recesses therein, a closing pin stretching across saidclosing frame of said closing flap to tit into the foremost of saidrecesses, a three-stepped catch lever in said lock case to tit with eachof its steps into one of the said recesses when the fastener is closed,and a spring underneath the said catch lever acting in a direction atapproximately right angles to said rst spring to urge said catch leverupwardly When the fastener is opened by its locking member beingretracted, the rst of said steps of the catch lever thereby pushing saidclosing pin out of the first recess in the lock case, a second steptaking a position in the path of said locking member to prevent itsreturn als long as the fastener is open,jwhile the third step of saidcatch lever places itself into the third of said recesses in the lockcase tending to maintain said catch lever'in position when the fasteneris closed, said first step also serving to prevent the locking memberexceeding its position when the fastener is being closed.

3. A fastener for use in a -closure as set forth in claim 2, in whichthersaid three-stepped catch lever is loosely arranged in saidVexcavation of the lock case and is pro vided with a beveled-oit tail endserving as a fulcrum when the said catch lever is tilted upwardly, theunderside of said beveled tail end affording a rest for the catch leverin its tilted position, while its upper surface catches underneath thelast step in said lock case tending to maintain the said catch lever inposition when the fastener isl closed.

4. A fastener for use on a closure having a main part and a closing ap,comprising, a lock case on the main part of said closure, a lockingmember slidable in said lock case, a spring to urgesaid locking memberin the direction of said closing flap, a closing frame o n said closinghap opposite said lock case, a cut-out in said closing frame to tit overthe front part of said lock case, a closing Vpin stretching across saidcut-out, a recess at the underside of said locking member at the forwardend thereof t0 accommodate said closing pin when the fastener is closed,a stepped excavation in the lock case, a stepped catch lever in the lockcase to t into said recess of the locking member and into said steppedexcavation of the lock case, a spring underneath said steppedcatch leveracting at right angles to said first-named spring to urge the forepartof said stepped catch lever into the path of the slidable locking memberwhen the latter has been retracted to liberate said closing pin, and aflattened end to said catch lever to catch below the last step of saidexcavation in the lock case when the fastener is closed.

5. A fastener for use on a closure having a main part and a closingflap, comprising, a lock case on the main part of said closure, alocking member slidable in said lock case, a spring to urge said lockingmember in the direction of said closing flap, a closing frame on saidclosing flap opposite said lock case, a cut-out in said closing frame tot over the front part of said lock case, a closing pin stretching acrosssaid cut out, a downwardly projecting nose on the saidV locking memberleaving atits forwardly directed side a free space for the accommodationof said closing pin when the fastener is closed, a other, considerablylonger free space at the rear of said downwardly projecting nose for theaccommodation of the said spring, a stepped excavation in the ioclc casein continuation of said first-named free space, a stepped catch leverloosely movable in said lock case, lan upwardly projecting step at theforward end -of said catch lever fitting into the lower part of saidrst-named free space in front of said downwardly projectingvtnose whenthe fastener is closed, and another spring underneath said catch leverto urge same upwardly into the said free space in front of thedownwardly projecting nose of the locking member when the latter is inits retracted position, thereby pushing said closing pin out of the saidfree space and placing itself into the path `of the retracted lockingmem ber to prevent its return into its initial position.

6. A fastener for use in a closure as set forth in claim 5, in which theloosely movable catch lever is provided y with two upwardly directedstepsat its lforward end, the `first of said steps fitting into thelower part of the said free the last step of the lstepped excavation inthe lock case when the fastener is'closed.

' References Cited in fthe tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSYY712,078 v VKuehler oct. 2s, 1902 886,396 Myers et al 'g May 5, 1908928,661 IsidorV July 20, 1909 1,702,621 'steujes Feb. 19, 1929 2,571,971Vogel Oct. 16, 1951 2,733,093 Reitzel Jan. 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS1,622 Great Britain Jan. 29, 1892 482,017 I1a1y June 1s, 1953

